Lamp holder



May 26, 1942; F. c. DE REAMER ETAL 2,284,376

LAMPHOLDER Filed May 17. 1939 Inventors: Frank C. DeReamen Adolf -G. Mu er,

Their Attornq g..

Patented May 26, 1942 UNlTE STATES PATEN ,zsim

' es l Lam noumn Application May 17, 1939, Serial No. 274,202

' Claims.

This invention relates to lampholders, and more particularly to lampholdcrs for tubularlamps of the type having spaced contact pins for engagement with the lampholder.

An object oi the invention is the provision of an improved lampholder of the type described which insures positive contact with the lamp contact pins, which will support the lamp in any position and which is formed of relatively few parts such that it may be manufactured at low cost.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of la'mpholders, together with a tubular lamp showing the manner in which the lamp is mounted in the lampholder: Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the elements of the lampholder; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the lampholder with a closure plate removed showing the interior thereof; Fig. 4 is a front view of the lampholdcr showing the position of the lamp contact pins in mounted position; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the'lampholder along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. v

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a plurality of lampholders it are shown in spaced relationshipicr supporting the ends of a "tubular lamp l I, for example, a fluorescent lamp. The ends 'of the lamp are provided with spaced contact pins l2 which cooperate with the contact means of the lampholder in a manner to be described later.

The lampholder It. includes a base member I3 of insulating material which is provided with a recess i4 extending from the inner face thereof. At its outer face it the base member form flat bearing surfaces 2! and 22 merging with the walls of the slots 11, while at the other end the walls of the boss are beveled toward each other, as shown at 23, to form an extension 24. The outer walls of the compartments I9 and are provided with grooves while each side of the extension 24 is provided with a flange or bead 2t which'cooperates with the groove 25 in providing a'support for the contact means of the lampholder.

The contact means include flexible spring contact blades 21. As shown most clearly by Figs. 2 and 3, one end 28 of each of the contact blades is bent at an angle and is spot welded. or otherwise secured, to the top of a terminal plate 2 9.

The terminal plates and bent ends of the contact members are then seated in the pockets formed by the grooves 2s and beads 26. A shelf bent end of the contact blade to assist in holding it in position. The main portion of the contact blade 21 extends upwardly at an angle to the terminal plate 29 within its corresponding compartment in the recess It. A contact blade-and terminal plate assembly are mounted on each side of the boss I8. The upper end of each contact blade is given'an S-shaped configuration to form a pocket 3| and a beveled surface 32 which are in alignment 'withthe corresponding slot ll, so'that as the lamp contact pins are pressed into the slots they will engage the contact blades. A

terminal screw 33 is threaded into each-of the terminal plates 29..

Upon insertion of the lamp contact pins in the grooves, the pins engage the beveled or sloping bearing surface 32 and flex the flexible spring contact blades outwardly permitting the pins to drop into the depressions 3| in which position they are locked in engagement with thelampholder, as shown by Fig.4. The pins are seated in the depressions 3i and are biased by the spring action of the contact blades into-engagement with the walls 2| and 22 of the boss H! as well as the walls of the slots I]. This means that the contact pins are firmly held within the lampholder making it possible to mount the tubular lamp in any position, even by suspendingit from the ceiling, because considerable force is necessary to remove the lamp by springing the ends of the contact blades outwardly, The slots I I serve to guide the contact pins into engagement: with the contacts and prevent any binding or twisting of the contact pins such as might damage the lamp.

As already described. the dividing boss i8 is tapered inwardly at each side to form the exten; sion 26. Accordingly, each of the contact blades may be bent at an angle of approximately degrees to the vertical parallel with the beveled portions of the dividing boss so that the bent terminal portions of the contact blades and the terminal plates are in substantial vertical alignment with the guide slots ll. This means that at one end the contact blades are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing between the lamp contact pins |2,,while 'at the other end they are spaced apart a relatively small distance corresponding to the thickness of the extension 24. By this construction the overall dimensions of the lampholder are greatly reduced since it is unnecessary to space the contact terminal means a distance corresponding to the spacing of the slots II. In addition, the angular or oblique arrangement of the contact blades make room for the ends of the terminal screws 33 within the compartments l9 and above. the bent ends 28 of the contact blades whenever the screws are threaded up into the terminal plates. This arrangement is shown by Fig. 3.

By mounting the flexible spring contact blades upon the relatively heavy terminal plates a rugged construction of the contact means is attained and one which will hold the lamp contact pins securely within the lampholder; The terminal plates provide an adequate support for the terminal screws, so that there is no chance of damaging the contact means upon threading down the terminal screws in connecting a con'- ductor. The extension 24 projects downwardly below the level of the heads of the terminal screws 33 and serves to insulate the attached conductors from each other. Since each of the contact blades and terminal plates are identical in construction, the number of parts is reduced and they may be easily assembled together., The assembly may then be mounted in the body of the the base member by a plurality of drive pins 35 which pass through openings 36 and '31 formed in the cover plate and base member, respectively. In the lower portion of the cover mounting the lampholder on a support, it should be manifest that other mounting-means may be employed as occasion demands.

In mounting a tubular lamp, two lampholders are employed, one tosupport each end of the lamp, and the lampholders are spaced apart a distance depending upon the length of the lamp. The lamp is mounted simply by placing the contact pins in the slots l1 and pressing downwardly on the lamp until the pins engage the contact means in the manner described. Several of the lamps may bemounted in line by placing the lampholders back-tc-back. In most cases the lampholders are surface mounted directly upon the upper surface of a support. However, if it is desired to conceal the wiring the support may be provided with slots through whichthe base member [3 extends for supporting the lamp on the top of the support while the ears 40 remain beneath the support and the conductors are connected to the terminal screwg underneath the plate spaced recesses. 38 are provided'which are in alignment with the terminal screws 33 to permit passage of the conductors to be secured to the'terminal screws. Similarly, the base member 13 is provided with spaced recesses 39 in its lower edge for receiving the conductors. The cover plate rests upon a notched edge I5 of the rear face of the base member l3 and is also flush against the face of the boss l8 and the edges of the contact blades and terminal members.

In this manner the contact blades are held so.-

curelyin position andsince the cover plate is,

countersunk in the edge IS, the rear face l5 of the basa and cover plate are flush with each other'giving the assembly-a pleasing appearance.

as shown'by Fig.1. I

In order to provide a mounting means for the lampholder, a plurality of ears 4|! are formed holder upon a support. In mounting the lampholder it is necessary only to place the nut 44 in the recess 4| and thread the bolt 43 into the nut;

.the'walls of the recess 4| cooperate with the nut mounted on each of said plates.

support where they are out of sight.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. of the United States is:

1. A socket for electric lamps having contact prongs comprising a base of .insulating material having a recess therein extending from'one face thereof, spaced parallel slots extending from the opposite face thereof to anedge of said last mentioned face and merging with said recess, spaced contact members 'in said recess, one end of each contact member having a lamp 'prong engaging portion resting in a corresponding slot,

the walls of said recess being provided with grooves therein, terminal plates in said recess, the-other end of each of said-contact members being bent at an angle and welded to a corresponding terminal plate, said bent ends of said contacts and said terminal plates being seated in said grooves, and conductor fastening means 2. A socket for electric lamps having contact prongs comprising a base of insulating material having a recess therein extending from one face thereof, spaced parallel slots extending from the opposite face thereof to an edge of said last mentioned face and merging with said recess, spaced contact members in said recess, one end of each contact member having a lamp prong engaging portion resting in a corresponding slot, the walls of said recess beig provided with grooves therein,

terminal plates in said recess, the other end of each of said contact members being bent at an angle and welded to a corresponding terminal plate, said bent ends of said contacts and said terminal plates being seated in said grooves, conductor fastening means mounted on each of said plates, and a closure plate covering said recess and holding said contact members and terminal plates in position.

3. In a lamp socket for use with a lamp having spaced contact prongs, a base member having a recess therein and spaced parallel elongated slots merging with said recess, a boss extending from the bottom of said recess between said slots and'dividing said recess into two compartments, a flexible spring contact blade in each compartment, a terminal plate'in each compartment and a conductorfastening means mounted on each of said plates, one end' of each contact blade being secured to said terminal plate, the other end of each contactblade resting in a corresponding slot for engagement by a lamp prong,

each of said contact blades being bent at an angle whereby said terminal plates and fastening means are in substantially vertical alignment with said parallel slots.

4. In a lamp socket, a base having a recess.

therein, a boss having a tapered extension dividing said recess into two compartments, spaced parallel slots in saidbase member, one slot merging with each compartment, a flexible spring contact blade in each compartment, one end of each blade extending within said slot for engagement with a lamp contact, a terminal plate in eachr minal plates are in substantially vertical alignment with thelamp contact engaging portions of said contact blades.

5.-A socket for electric lamps having spaced contact prongs comprising, a base of insulating material having a recess therein extending from one face thereof, spaced parallel slots extending from the opposite face thereof to the edge of said last-mentioned face and merging with said recess, spaced contact members in said recess, one end of each contact member having a lamp prong engaging portion resting in 9, corresponding slot, the walls of said recess being provided with grooves therein, terminal plates in said recess, the other end of each of said contact members being bent at an angle and fastened to a corresponding terminal plate, said terminal plates being seated in said grooves and conductor fastening means mounted on each of said plates.

FRANK c. DE REAMER. ADOLF G. MUELLER. 

